Joy Onuorah with NAN

An upper area court in Zuba, Abuja has granted Hauwa Muhammad, the controversial Nigerian sex therapist better known as Jaruma, bail after four days in prison.

The police had charged Jaruma with false news publication, intimidation, and defamation of character after a petition was submitted by Ned Nwoko, a billionaire businessman.

According to NAN, in his ruling on Friday, Ismailia Abdullahi, the judge, ordered the defendant to produce one surety in like sum.

Abdullahi also ordered that the surety must be a GL12 civil servant in the FCT and must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

The judge adjourned the matter until February 23, for further hearing.

Abdullahi also advised all parties that are involved in the case to maintain peace.

“The essence of bail is not to terminate the matter, but to allow the defendant to prepare for her trial,” he said.

Olu Kayode, defence counsel, had earlier presented a written application for the defendant’s bail to the court.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge against her but was remanded in custody at the Suleja correction centre on January 24.

Edward Inegbenoise and Chinedu Ogada, the prosecution counsel, told the court that Nwoko reported the matter through a written petition from his lawyer to the FCT police command for proper investigation on January 20.

Inegbenoise said the defendant used various social media platforms, particularly her Instagram handle, to publish falsehood against Nwoko and his wife.

He told the court the defendant gave the false news in order to “incite public hatred against Nwoko and his wife to damage their reputation”.

Inegbenoise alleged that the defendant, through her Instagram handle, published that she gave N10 million to Regina Daniels to advertise what he described as “her illicit product” known as Kayanmata.